There were about 90 people in the audience, lots of people we support, staff, families, partner organisations, people from other services – and some people we didn’t recognise. There were performances from a dance group, a drama group and a film by another drama group. There was a lot of music and dancing throughout, with people frequently joining the performers on the stage to join in the fun!
I stood at the back (it was standing room only). Looking across the packed hall, I could see people sitting in their friendship groups, of which some staff were a natural part, whilst other staff stepped back and only got involved when needed. The room was oppressively hot and people were struggling with the heat, but didn’t want to leave as it was so much fun.
Staff were carefully supporting people near to them to make sure that they were okay and enjoying themselves. This included simple observation from a distance or other skills such as using eye contact to reassure someone, listening or using touch to get someone’s attention. The staff were really responsive to people’s needs and met them creatively. For example an older man fell asleep and almost fell off his chair because of the heat. I expected a member of staff to take him outside for some fresh air and tell him to take his coat and jumper off, but instead he was asked whether he wanted to take some layers off, using eye contact and signs as well as speech, and a chair with arms was quickly fetched so that he could carry on watching the show with his friends without disrupting his experience. I also saw some improvements from previous shows, that staff have made as a result of reflecting on their practice, for example, staff were offering subtle prompts from the audience or hidden backstage rather than being visible to the audience, making the show much more focused on the performers. And anyone who has visited Great Holm knows that hugs are more common than handshakes, and these were in abundance as people celebrated their achievements!
At the end of the show most of the audience were at the front all dancing and singing together, a real sign of confidence, showing pride in what had been achieved and appreciation of other people’s contributions. Most importantly of all for me, there was a really inclusive atmosphere with everybody learning, laughing and having fun together. That’s what Great Holm should be about all the time – Great Interactions.
Well done to everybody who worked so hard to make the event such a success.
Anna Perry
Head of Operations (Milton Keynes)